China’s National Bureau of Statistics on Friday released economic data that showed youth unemployment rose to 17.1 percent in July, an increase from 13.2 percent in June and the highest level recorded in 2024 so far.
Voice of America News (VOA) noted the real numbers are probably even worse. Unemployment reports in China are dodgy even by the usual standards of the Communist regime because when youth unemployment hit 21.3 percent in June 2023, the government stopped reporting jobless numbers altogether.
Six months later, the Chinese National Bureau of Statistics reluctantly began publishing unemployment figures again — but now the books were blatantly cooked to exclude students entirely. China’s unemployment reports also exclude rural areas, where joblessness is much higher — often twice the rate reported in big cities.
The latest figures showed the unemployment rate…
